Miss Hastings' Excellent London Adventure (Brazen Brides Book 4)(76)

 

The only place he could have hidden was under the lone bed, but nothing was there.

 

How would they ever find Emma in a city as vast as London?

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 24

 

 

 

 

Footsteps mounted the stairs. One person's. A man. Fear choked her. It must be Ashburnham. How much time did she have left before he killed her?

 

Her efforts to free herself of the tightly knotted rope around her wrists had failed. Everything had failed.

 

And now she would die.

 

A key went into the lock, the handle twisted, and the door opened. Ashburnham stood framed in the doorway. He was not a large man, not large at all, but no one had ever looked so menacing. A sneer dragged on his mouth, and he eyed her with palpable hatred. "I should have killed you that first week."

 

She straightened her spine. She did not want to appear a defenseless female, though that was exactly what she was. "You are a fool if you think my husband would not avenge my death. Do you have any idea how powerful he is?"

 

He laughed a mirthless laugh. "If I can nab you, I can trick him. Nobody gives me credit for being the genius I am. I can slay him—and get away with it. You think he's powerful. It's I who's the powerful one. No one can defeat James Ashburnham."

 

"You're already defeated. We have proof that you forged my uncle's will. We have proof you forged the note from Mr. Faukes. We will soon have proof that my uncle was poisoned. It does not take a genius to follow the crimes to the one person who benefits from them."

 

"With you and your husband dead, there will be no one to challenge the will. You're Simon Hastings' last surviving relation."

 

"My husband's solicitor knows everything, and his loyalty to the Birmingham family ensures that he will see you hang."

 

Ashburnham shrugged. "A convenient accident will silence him."

 

"You're delusional."

 

He came closer. "You've told me everything I needed to know. Your husband and Emmott will also have to be silenced." He started walking toward her, his hands balled into fists.

 

"There are others!"

 

He stopped. "Who?"

 

"I shan't tell you."

 

He moved to her and closed his sweaty hands around her neck.

 

* * *

 

"Back to the tea company!" Adam ordered. Faukes might know of a place where Ashburnham would be keeping Emma. Since he'd not yet come into a penny of Hastings' money, it wasn't likely Ashburnham would have the funds for another place. He had to be hard pressed for cash, especially given that he was hiring brutes to capture a defenseless female.

 

They all rode as if a wildfire leapt at their heels, and they reached Faukes' business in less than two minutes.

 

He burst into Faukes' office. "Ashburnham's got my wife. We've got to find her before she ends up like her uncle!"

 

William stepped forward and addressed Faukes. "Is there any building you know of, a place where he might have taken her? A place in an unpopulated area?"

 

His brows lowered, Faukes shook his head solemnly.

 

Adam winced. God in heaven, what was he to do? "We've got to send our men to every corner of the city. We've got to find her." He knew that looking for a needle in a haystack would have been far easier.

 

A sickness in his gut, he began to leave Faukes' office. His poor little Emma. How he wished he could die with her so she wouldn't have to be alone.

 

He'd never see her again. It sickened him even more to realize he had never told her he loved her. God, but he loved her! She was the best thing that ever happened to him.

 

"Wait!" Faukes said.

 

Adam turned back and froze with profound hope.

 

"We used to have an auxiliary warehouse near the docks, but we abandoned it because the roof was bad, and the quay had become useless."

 

"Where?" Adam demanded.

 

"I'll show you."

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 25

 

 

 

 

She could not scream. She could not slap him. But she could move. She wasn't about to be trapped in a corner.

 

With her bound hands, she lifted her skirts as he moved toward her, and with every ounce of strength in her body, she jammed her knee into his groin.

 

He screamed like a woman and fell to the floor.

 

Thank God he'd left the door open! She raced to it. Just as she reached the doorway, his hand caught her dress and yanked.

 

She fell just feet away from where he'd landed. She tried to propel herself toward the open doorway, but he wouldn't let go of her dress. A string of vile curses flowed from his vile mouth. Fortunately, his obvious pain prevented him from moving quickly.